[Open] [AU]
The King of the kingdom to the far east was not doing well. Of course you knew that, everyone knew that. It was plain to see. He was dying slowly and he had no male heir to the throne. Though they had tried they only produced one daughter- which would make her Queen once her father died, seeing as her mother had perished years before. It would have
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Well, at least the girl appeared intelligent unlike the other princesses that had tried for his hand. If he wasn't going to marry for love, he would at least like to be friends with his wife. Nothing more troublesome than spending time with a person you don't like and can't get away from. Not to mention how awkward consummating the marriage would be...
But that would be for another time. He wasn't going to force her into something that she was uncomfortable with. She had already lost her kingdom and freedom all in a short amount of time. He wasn't going to take her dignity from her though. He was a more honorable king than that.
He entered into the main living area of her room, to make sure that she was adjusting all right. His kingdom was a tad more colder than what she was probably used to, living in a desert country.
"Did you rest well, my lady?" he asked, hoping she was warm enough in here. The older castles tended to get a little drafty, but Ryou still loved it's old charm.
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If nothing, however, she was resilient. And for her kingdom, to the continuing efforts of keeping it safe and afloat, she would pretend with the best of them.
Even though she was cold and seemed to refuse to dress in more than her regular clothes (at least she hadn't been asked or commanded by her King and husband yet) she nodded. She had been standing by the closed, wide windows, staring out into the distance. "I did, my King. Thank you."
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Trying to make conversation, he looked down at the garden below, remembering so many stories about that place. It brought a soft smile to his face.
"My mother... she had insisted on this side of the castle to have a garden because it has the most sunlight. I... I hope that is to your liking."
He even remembered the 'horror' stories of his mother working in the garden herself despite being heavily pregnant, first with him and then his younger sister. Still, it made him proud of his mother for standing up for what she believed in and not backing down, no matter what anyone else said.
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She turned to him once he was close enough and once he had finished speaking. Her hands folded carefully in front of her. "Do you like plants?"
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"I like them well enough. Food would be boring and tasteless without them. They help ease or even cure illness. And they do make things look and feel more lively when they are blooming." He decided to turn her question back to her. "Do you like plants, my lady?"
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"My mother had a garden of her own as well. I enjoyed playing in it when I was younger."
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"Then we have something in common, my lady." Despite being the crowned prince at the time, his mother always found some way to steal him away from his studies and let him play in the garden. He was always happy in those small moments of freedom to be a child rather than a prince.
"...What was your mother like, if I may ask?"
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"She was kind and loving. Brilliant, even. She helped my father a lot. And she also never took no for an answer. She always followed what she believed in and was stubborn about doing so."
It had been rumored that Atem was an exact copy of her mother, right down to her beliefs. But she didn't give heed to such a thing. Her mother was far superior to her own being.
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"...I think that you are kind and loving as well, from what I've heard about your kingdom." Well... his kingdom now, if they wanted to be technical.
However, he was considering letting her handle the affairs of her own country once they got back on their feet. Maybe even give her some confidence in herself again.
"You would have made your mother proud, I think..."
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Her head shook. "I led my kingdom into disaster. I don't even think my father would look kindly upon me from the afterlife at this point."
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"I doubt even the Gods themselves could have done any better, given the circumstances. You were backed into a corner you couldn't get out of, and I'm sure that your father would have understood." Unlike his father who basically let him have the throne when he was twelve while he, the previous king, went mad. It wasn't a pleasant time for his kingdom.
"But, things will get better. The only way to go after hitting the bottom is to go up, right?"
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She turned to him slightly. "Your outlook is bright." She wished she could share it. "...thank you."
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"I do try to keep a bright outlook, despite being heavily criticized for it." He sometimes laughed at himself for being so optimistic. "People seem to assume that a king has to be serious and brooding all of the time." Which, he saw as ridiculous nonsense.
"Nothing wrong with having a little faith and hope, my lady." He gently rested a hand on her shoulder. "Nothing wrong with a little self-confidence either..."
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Her eyes moved towards that hand before going back to his own gaze. "No I suppose not."
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"Also, it doesn't hurt to ask for help once in a while, no matter how much you think you don't need it."
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Though her smile was slightly amused, if not defeated for good reason. "I hadn't realized. Sometimes I forget about such simple things." Such as eating, sleeping. Normal human activities.
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